Issue 056
November 2009
Sparring kit
Whitehead uses one brand for all his kit: Winners of the Best MMA Gloves category in 2008’s World MMA Awards, Fairtex.
“Those guys at Fairtex have taken care of me basically from the beginning of my career. I’ve always used their stuff from sparring gloves to mitt gloves to shin pads, head gear – all their stuff. Their stuff is top quality and those guys always take care of me so thanks to those guys at Fairtex.”
When asked about his shin pads?
“Fairtex. They’ve been a great product.”
Strikeforce MMA gloves
Poking out of Mike’s kit bag are a pair of MMA gloves that look like they’ve seen action...
“They’re from my last fight with Kevin Randleman. They’re Strikeforce Fairtex gloves and they’re the ones I use for practice now.”
Does Mike keep them for sentimental value or as a good luck charm? “(laughs) no, I needed a pair of training gloves and I was glad that Fairtex let me walk home with them.”
Mouthpiece
Like many fighters Mike likes a thick mouth-guard so that he can get the most out of his power shots. Custom-made for a secure fit that’s sure not to come out when he’s grounding and pounding his opponents.
“Unbreakable mouthpiece from the guys at Unbreakable. Thanks to those guys for their support – it’s a great product. It’s a good fit and they make it the way I want it – I like a very thick mouthpiece. It’s like a boxer’s mouthpiece, it’s very thick and you can bite down on it and get in those bangs.”
Supplements
You can’t help but wonder how many times Mike’s had to suffer people helping themselves to some of his supplements as we find a tub of protein with ‘NOT YOURS’ boldly written on the top of it. Mike keeps it simple with arguably the most essential supplement.
“Protein from Cytosports. It’s a vanilla protein that I take after practice.”
Hygiene
Conscious that there’s plenty of nasty bugs to be picked up from MMA training, Mike ensures that he always has anti-bacterial soap in his kitbag making staying clean part of every workout. “I take a shower after every practice because there’s a lot of dirty guys in here.”
Thai Oil
Taking a leaf out of the Thai boxer’s book Mike packs liniment to help kick-start his training on off days.
“If I’m sore one day and I need to warm up I’ll rub a lot of that on my legs and on my back and lower back just to warm up my body. If I’m feeling a little bit slow or a bit sore I’ll rub some of that on me.”
Cartoon Towels?
As we’ve seen on this page in previous issues, many fighters pack an unusual item or two. Wanderlei carries his Round 5 figure, Tim Kennedy had his peanut butter and Mike Whitehead caries cartoon towels! So are they a good luck charm or something?
“Not really. I like bringing towels that have little cartoon figures on them (to the gym). It’s funny, everybody sees the big guy walk in and pull the cartoon towel out. It keeps them thinking.”
So has he got a favorite to take to the gym? “I like ‘Cars’. The ‘Cars’ one’s probably my favorite.”
Mike Whitehead spoke to Gary Alexander.
